By your side
by hidden stranger
Summary: In Central Park Zoo, a wolf pup is plagued with an unknown illness. How does this affect king Julian, can the mere visit and a penguin's time help save the life of the close friend of the lemur king? Do not judge on summary alone UPDATED!


A/N, Hey everyone, good to know you all are enjoying what I've been able to come out with so far in this show. This may be a tad depressing to anyone, just warnin ya, there will be a death but I refuse to tell you who until you find out...at the end/middle of the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters

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The cool autumn air felt different in the New York City Zoo. There was a brewing of distant worry that seemed to flow through the animals, origially generated by the human caretakers as they'd come to find something of grave news. Alice and the others had managed to keep this under wraps for a while, not trying to cause the children visitors of the zoo any worries even though the attractions inside their cages felt it growing week by week. The Penguins had kept an eye upon the situation, taking a shifts as they pushed through their day's work to monitor the actions zookeeper Alice and the medical staff as if continued to go back and forth from the same exhibit again and again, each time their expressions changing from concerned to worry, confusion and then to pure sadness.

Private was on watch the afternoon this time, taking his post and looking through the scope they hide underneath their food dish. While he found himself watching almost the exact same scene over and over again, like a film clip stuck on repeat, he couldn't help but build his own personal worry for the animal they looked over. Skipper had neglected them from making contact or even granting visitation to the animal recieving the attention of the zoo keepers. He had yet to find whether this creature was contatious or not, that wasn't the only reason though. He himself could never find the strength to see a fellow creature in any suffering. In his time as an oprative in certain missions, he'd seen enough carnage and too many friends leave this life for him to see anymore.

Kowalski, having felt as though the Skipper's reactions to the situation were odd and unexpected, did his best to busy himself with certain small projects, allowing Rico a job working as his assisitant, merely handing over/vomiting tools neccesary for the job. Lord knows what would happen if the manic penguin were given access to actually building something of his own twisted design, kowalski felt it was generally much safer just having the scarred one as his assistant for now. Word was beginning to spread faster around the zoo, an illness had taken place, one that appeared to have baffled many of the staff of the zoo.

"Skipper, Alice is leavin now, she seems to look even more stressed out than before." Skipper nodded and met the young private with grim eyes.

"Yes, that most likely means the poor lad's turned for the worse, time's starting to run out and we still have nothing!" He slammed an angry fist on the table and then rubbed hs brow with the other wing. Rico, though silent, his thoughts were plainly expressed by the appearance of sorrow upon his face. He turned to face Kowalski who for the moment, needed to be alone. The brains of the team had been taking this the hardest, he was the thinker, the problem solver, the one who came up with the solution to any and all problems and he could not keep one poor child from an early grave. It ate him from within, the sheer injustice and lack of oppertunity that was given to the young one who since he'd arrived at the new york city zoo, had been in a constant struggle for survival. Now the times had taken a turn for the darker. Private refused to allow this team to merely sit by from a distance and let the zoo lose a friend. Looking at his leader who stood with his wings behind his back staring into the porthole, he walked over to the skipper.

"Look, Skipper, on the chance Toby doesn't get any better, the last thing anyone I can think of would want is to be alone when they go. We need to pay our respects to him while we still can, contagious or not he deserves it, he shoul at least get a last wish."

The young one's words forced the slightest whisper of a tear into the strong leader's eyes. He looked down at Private and then over to Rico and Kowalski, their expressions appearing to show they felt the same. The penguin sighed, sometimes it was really agitating how often that boy was right.

"Alright men, we're on a misson brought to us by our brother Private here and I for one believe that it is a request that will be met, team, EVASIVE MANUVERS!" He yelled and the four penguins leaped out of the HQ and headed for Toby's exhibit. It took several minutes longer than they'd been used to, doctors continuing back and forth trying to get opinions on the sick one had caused the team to wait idlely behind the trash can for a few minutes till the coast was clear.

"Rico, check the perimeter." The scarred bird waddled out into the open, sliding himself along the wall, keeping low and silent. He stood up and did a quick look around before motioning with his wing to come over. The three slid on their bellies toward Rico next to the habitat and slipped inbetween the bars. Walking up the grassy hill, through the trees, the team of four came to an abrupt stop, curtousey of Skipper.

"Problem Skipper?" Kowaski inquired, not wishing to hold up any longer and just wanting to go and see for himself what condition the boy was in. Skipper's eyes darted back and forth,

"Someone else is here." Taking in a breath of air through in beak, the military penguin narrowed his eyes.

"Ringtail. What's he doing here? Lets move!" He and the team made their way to the grass covered den, a hole dug deep into the floor of the habitat, its entrance dark and quiet. Rico marched forth and led the way. Soon they heard small chuckling and what sounded to be the lemur king's voice. Turning a corner they found the source of the voices.

Laying against the wall of the den, the young wolf known as Toby, brought to the zoo only a few short months ago, lay on his side as the lemur king sat next to him, his traditional crown exchanged for the pink flamingo crown he'd donned previously while in africa. Digging his staff into the ground, Julian paid no mind to the new visitors as Toby continued the conversation they held.

"Hahahehe, how do you think you actually sound doing that? Do it again!" The sick wolf coughed slightly as he spoke, Julian rolled his yellow and orange king eyes before standing up.

"Okay but I am not knowning what you speak of that my whistling isn't as great as I know it is." He then proceed to blow rasberries, thinking that was the proper way to whistle before standing proudly next to the wolf cub who heaved with laughter at the noises produced by the leamur. The four penguins silently made their way to the far end of the cave as to not interrupt.

"You see you're ears are decieving you my young one, for I King Julian, me, have a natural talent for this." The cub continued to giggle and laugh until his breath caught up with him, becoming more and more labored, Julian gave a stern gaze Toby's way as he tipped his staff to the boy's shoulder.

"Hey what have I told you about doing that, you're not helping yourself you know." Toby caught his breath and winced as he sat upright next to him.

"I know, its just you make me laugh really hard because you're funny." he said to the lemur who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think he's THAT funny." Private tried whispering to Kowalski, the quiet voice failed to fall out of range of the lemur's ears. Julian lept back in suprise and backed over toby and fell on his rear behind the wolf.

"Aughhh! , Silly penguins what are you doing here? Maurice! what am I telling you about keeping a lookout for intruders that you are not grasping?" Julian asked his secound in command compadre. The shorter lemur shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say Julian, they're stealthy." The king looke at the penguins and then back at Maurice.

"Well that is not a good enough excuse for my royal ears, now make them leave, it is Toby and me time, not Toby, silly penguins and me time!" He ordered his assisitant. Private walked up to Julian, he was known for being able to use his good nature and gentle inquirey to his advantage when he could.

"um Julian, we only came down here because we wanted to see Toby. we never really have gotten a chance to visit what with all the people coming." The stern look on the lemur king's face slowly softened as he tilted his head forward, the soft flamingo feathers above his head leaning forward as he eyed the young penguin. Trying to hold his poker face but finding it couldn't really hold a candle to Private's, he sighed and looked over at the three penguins along the far wall of the den.

"*Sigh* you silly birds can come and visit but I'm not leaving here before you." He stated flately, giving into Private's request.

Skipper, Kowalski and Rico walked up to the young wolf, skipper slipping Private a secret high five under his wing, Private smiled as he slapped his leader and headed over with his teammates. Julian gave Toby a pat on the head before retreating to the far wall and taking a seat on the dirt, and by seat, that meant using the lemur Mort as a cushion for his royal booty. Toby answered many of their questions, having to stop every few minutes because of a cough that came and resignated deep in his throat, maintaining its position there and making the poor child having to hack violently ever once and again. Maurice found himself having to constantly replace Julian back on his "cushion" when Toby tried to answer with sentences longer than he should have. He could sense the growing damage he was enduring and frankly it frightened the lemur enough a state of deep nervousness and tension. Pushing his condition aside and trying to focus on the newcome visiors. Toby began asking questions of his own to the birds who gave him past stories of how certain things came to be between them all. The ringtailed king was greatly frustrated whenever the boy asked a slightly personal question to the birds, Skipper instinctively would begin shutting the boy down, telling him that is classified, but turning his head and seeing the almost death glare being shot at him from the tall lemur, the leader of the penguins shrugged his shoulders and began to divulge certain secret information accesible only by the members of the HQ about the HQ and continents relitivaly close to Denmark, BUT NEVER DENMARK.

Kowaski turned and looked at the lemur who sat and watched the birds very carefully. He couldn't really put the pieces together, Julian had made his entire reputation upon everything he did getting everyone's attention. Now he sat in silence merely waiting to get back to the wolf like some kind of...best friend...

_Why does he care so much about the canine? What is the connection between him and Julian? _

The great cogs began turning in the brainy bird's mind as he snuck out his clipboard and pencil and began scratching down possible answers to Julian and Toby's relationship they seemed to have. After a few last questions by Private on what Toby's favorite pastime next to eating and playing, Skipper closed the visit with his team. Saying their goodbyes and goodluck wishes on Toby's behalf, the penguins left the den, a single file line sending them back out of the habitat and on way to their HQ. As they left, Julian took back his place next to the wolf and starting a conversation with him once more, the father they left, the more excitment could be heard from both sides. Upon reaching the bars of the wolf exhibit, Kowalski took one last look at his notes and then back at the wolf habitat before continueing on behind the others, still trying to place some kind of answers to the scenes he'd been exposed to in the last half hour. Maurice followed them out to stand guard outside the habitat for anyone else who would innterupt the king's meeting with the sick child, hiding occasionally when Alice made her rounds.

Entering HQ the troops made their way to their proper beds. Skipper took a quick gulp of water before turning in, he climbed up and stopped at Private's side.

"Private, as much as I didn't want to admit it, you made the right choice sending us there. I didn't think that it would be good but in the long run, we did the right thing and its because of you." Private smiled as he tucked himself in under the blanket.

"Thanks Skipper, I feel alot better too." With that, unconciousness fell upon the HQ and left the birds each sleeping sliently and softly.

_The following morning_

The team agreed to meet with Toby again, he had turned out to be a person they actually found to enjoy spending time with. He didn't follow the annyoing traits that most mammal children engaged in. He was soft spoken and seemed to have a very even sense of humor, although how Julian managed to crack him up remained shrouded in mystery. As they approached the steel gate, once checking for people, the team stopped and looked up at some kind of human message posted upon the gate.

**Toby the wolf is no longer with us in Central Park Zoo. **

**He meant the world to us here and to everyone who was able to see and meet him, he will be in our memories forever.**

**R.I.P Tobias the Wolf 2008-2009**

The penguins stood in a state of shock. They carefully read and reread the posted sign that hung grimly between the cold steel bars. Understanding suddenly hitting them all harder than being driven over by a truck carrying concrete blocks. Private gasped and threw his wings to his face as his blue eyes teared up and began flowing with salty tears. Skipper hung his head and put a wing upon the Private's shoulder as he let the full brunt of what they'd discovered here take effect. Kowalski shook his head in disbelief, running a flipper over his head and whispering to himself how it just couldn't be, not already. He'd seen the boy up close and observed him from the start of their visit, he appeared weak but he'd believed the child carried a strength in him. It could have also been him telling himself that he would make it because in the time they'd shared together, however brief, was connecting enough to make this hurt all the more.

Rico stood in silence, a stone look upon his face, he was no stranger to lost loved ones and through his years, he like Skipper had become strong with the acceptence of death, but the brainy peguin could still see the glimmer of a crystal tear slipping down his beak and tracing over the scar he donned permantley. While he was only able to keep himself from breaking down in moans and gutteral cries from his mute form, the scarred penguin came up and pulled Private in for a rare but comforting hug. Private wept into Rico's feathers as the taller bird leaned in and closed his eyes, holding the young penguin close to himself. The team stood saddened and conflicted by this unfortunate loss to the zoo that they'd expected would come sooner or later, but having visited as they did the night before, it just made this all the more difficult stomach. While it was much like the time they had almost lost a brother to an unvomitable gut bomb, the difference was, Toby wasn't going to be pulling through, he wouldn't suddenly make a pull for the better like many always hoped.

Finally swallowing away the choking lump in his throat, Private broke away from his teammate and looked around, his vision still blurred from the tears.

"Skipper, what of Julian? He has to know about this. How's he going to handle it?" Skipper looked over and grimaced slightly.

"I have a feeling he knows already." Pointing a fin in through the bars, the team looked to see Maurice standing guard, a broken and depressed look upon the lemur's face as he stood before the den. The penguins went through the fence and walked up to the second in charge lemur.

"M-Maurice? Wheres Julian?" Kowalski asked for the team, Maurice shook his head slowly.

"The king's right where he was last night, he hasn't left..." This statement sent tears into the big eyes of the short lemur, Mort already bawling his eyes out harder than one had thought possible.

"You should probobly try and get him surfaced, he can't stay down there much longer, he shouldn't anyway. He never even left when Alice came in and found out..." The lemur stepped to the side and let the penguins past, they waddled down the path into the den, a feeling of terrible misfortune and pain in the air that circulated thorught the den. Finally reaching the ending room, they stopped to have found Julian.

The Lemur king was a sight to see. Never in the years they had shared together, had any of the birds seen him as they were now. Julian sat along the back side of the room, sitting crosslegged, his yellow vibrant eyes closed by his darkened black eyelids as his head hung forward, his royal crown laying adjacent to him. The lemur's feelings seemed to have darkened the entire room slightly. The air was thick with despair, sadness, tragedy and uncertainty. Before him, lay the child they had all come to know as Toby the wolf. The puppy wild dog's eyes were closed softly shut, his once smiling furry face appeared as if it had been brushed by an angel as it laid upon a soft pillow. He looked so...peaceful, lying there, one would have taken him for merely sleeping. Unfortunatly, all who looked upon the dog, knew the unfortunate truth. Julian rested a paw upon the blue blanket covering Toby, he took in a slow barely audiable deep breath of air as his hand down the pup's face and neck. Opening his eyes slowly, he gazed at the resting face of his friend, his whiskers slightly twitched and stuck to his muzzle from the dried wet fur around his tear stained face. Looking at him, it would appear the lemur had been crying profusely for hours. Noone really knew what to say at the moment, whether anything should even be said, if silence was enough for Julian then it would be for them. Finally after a few more minutes of stroking the soft fur of Toby's head, the lemur spoke.

"When you left...last night...he said for me to say thank you for the visit. He was glad he met you...penguins I guess this means I should say thank you as well." The team stared at one another as they stood in silence. Private finally couldn't handle standing quiet any longer and stepped forward.

"Julian please...what happened to Toby?" He said, his voice breaking. King Julian put his face in his hands and blew out a shaky breath, his shoulder shuddering.

"You penguins left...and we got back to our usual playing time..." He started

_Flashback_

_The four birds exited the den, Julian and Toby left alone once more together. Julian sighed a mere breath of relief as the penguins left, Toby looked over at him as he sighed._

_"Something wrong Julian?" He asked, the lemur king looked over to the wolf,_

_"No, I am just somewhat...I'm a little bit...I'm worried okay?" He said. Toby looked up at him in question. _

_"Well whats the problem." Julian had to turn away from the wolf and face the wall as to get a grip on himself. Taking in a breath and turning to face Toby, he blew it out._

_"It's that zookeeper Alice, she's looking very unhappy when she left after your last checkup. I wanna know ur better, I want you to be fine!" He stammered as he laid down next to the wild dog. Toby's eyes slightly welled up as he looked at Julian. He'd actually kept his mind off the fact that he'd been sick all this time when he and Julian had been keeping themelves busy with other things, but now having heard the nervousness in Julian's voice, he became suddenly very scared._

_"So, what? am I gonna get better? What's gonna happen to me?" He cried out, feeling the impact reality was hitting at him. Anxiety began to build in the wolf as he got up and paced in circles around the den, the lemur watching him. Toby slumped over to the corner of the room and laid down again, feeling somewhat exuasted from his building condition, his eyes became full of salty tears. Putting his paws over his eyes as he laid his head on the floor he sobbed._

_"What's even happening to me? Noone even knows whats going on, I'm only a year old, why am I feeling so...finished, so old and fragile? This can't be it, Julian what am I supposed to do!!!" He cried out to the only one who'd looked after the young wolf since he'd arrived. Julian got up and raced to the puppy's side, not knowing what to say, what would calm his dear friend, he sat down and took the dog's face by his cheeks andpulled him up to meet his own. _

_"Toby...I can't tell you everything is gonna be okay. You have no clue how much is it that I am pleading with the sky gods not to take you from me. You know that I love you soo very much!" He said, empthesizing his words with a tight hug around the puppy's neck, rubbing his cheek on the wolf's. Toby looked at him, the pure innocence and childish grasp of what the world truly was, shining through the canine's gleaming glassy eyes. _

_"*sniff* I know Julian...I know. I just want more time to be with you. To do everything we joked about and planned, can't you tell me there's any hope at all?" He asked his lemur friend who sat beside him, curbing his running nose with his arm he looked back at Toby._

_" I can't lie to you my friend, I am not surest of anything and I can't tell you when something is happening or when it will. All I know is that I'll be by your side buddy. I'm right here and I'm not leaving you." He said, hoping to relaxe the canine a bit at least, Toby wiped away the remaining tears in his eyes and pulled his friend in close to him. Without noticing it at first, having pulled Julian next to him, he laid a paw down, coincidently touching the royal feet of Julian. Unbelievably, the lemur didn't move, normally when he'd watched other's like Mort touch the feet, they'd been pelted across the room, even the mutant rat Julian had brought to the floor with his rage against anyone violating his space. Sniffing slightly and then shaking his head a bit, Julian looked over at the dog with a small smirk on his face and pointed down at his two ends of glory. Toby looked down and then Julian threw his voice down by his feet,_

_"auughh you are touching the royal feet intruder!" he made his right foot moan. Then lifting his left foot he kicked his right a few times._

_"How many times am I telling you Toby MAY TOUCH THE FEET!" HE bellowed at his two striaghtened out lower limbs. Forcing them to cringe and wave at the puppy, Toby laughed once more and shook his head._

_"Julian ur feet are talking to you, you may be a little how do I say this....nuts?" _

_"Oh really mr. Smarty Booty, then why am I king then?" _

_"Wait aren't you self app- approin, aren't you just the king cuz you say you are?" The puppy inquired, finding certain words may still have been a bit on the large side for him. king Julian crossed his arms and turned his head in a snobbish fashion._

_"I am not seeing what is wrong with that, noone else took de job." He said, his accent coming out a bit. He stood up and motioned for Toby to go into his bed next to him in the middle of his room. The wolf slowly came over, not wanting to go to sleep any time soon. Reluctently he clambered into his large bale of straw and leaves he'd made with the lemur's help. _

_"promise you'll stay the night with me?" He asked of his dear friend. Julian nodded and took his place leaning against the dog's belly, laying his crown on the dog's head. _

_"You can count on me, you know that." With that the lighting was shut off inside the the den, the two friends drifting off to sleep together._

_In about three hour's time, Julian was awoke by what felt like shaking. He stirred and sat up and looked over Toby. He then became gastly awhere of what was happening. Toby's small frame was shaking viciously, his small dark paws twitching violently, his tail flopping from side to side. Julian lept to his feet and looked over his dear friend what seemed to be in the middle of a muscular fritz. He pulled Toby' face up to his, the wolf pup chocking and coughing terribly._

_"Toby no, please not now!" He begged as his watched his poor friend succombing to the wrath of his illness. Toby and Julian locked eyes as Toby managed a few words to the lemur._

_"Julian help me. I don' wanna die, I don't wanna die, I wanna stay here with yy-" He gasped as his body seized up tightly and then loosened, hitting the floor limp, his head resting in Julian's lap in his hands. Julian kept his eyes locked the puppy's bright blue orbs slowly drift out of life. With that, his eyes rolled to the side, forcing Julian to close them...forever._

_"I'm...I'm right here Toby..." Pushing out those last words, the lemur king buried his face in the neck of Toby's and began to break down, his body shaking from the utter toll the recent events began to take on him. Never had he been so distraught, so upset, even when he'd lost friends on his island to the Foosa, he'd been able to keep his composure. Now, he'd just come to find that he'd lost a better friend than he'd ever known. He was a king, someone who was always in control of all around him, and yet at the moment he'd never felt more helpless._

_End of flashback-_

Skipper looked solemly at the lemur as he spoke in a quiet voice. Julian sighed heavily and fast, as if trying to push out the breath that contained so very much sadness and lack of fairness.

"We're sorry Julian...we had no idea it would be today." The lemur nodded, keepng his gentle gaze on the body. Private walked next to him and leaned in to hug the lemur,

"We should leave this place. Alice is going to want Toby to have his space from others now. You can stay with us, you Maurice and Mort." He looked toward Skipper for approval, he nodded with a look of concern for the lemur. Julian wouldn't move for a few minutes, but as the others came and pulled him to his feet, they led him away from the den. Reaching the surface, Maurice took one look at his king before stopping him for a short but nessesary hug. Julian's tail warpped around the two of them as they embraced. Mort carried Julian's crown and didn't say a word, but the over exposure to all this deppression aaround the group was forcing very quiet sobs out of the small tan lemur as they headed for HQ. They settled in and did what they could as far as a meal was concerned.

Maurice had went back to the lemur habitat for fruits and mango for Julian. During the awkward and uncomfortable dinner together, noone seemed to be able to eat anything, Julian merely stared at his mango and other fruit, Skipper pushed his fish from side to side along his place, nibbling at it once in a while, Rico had to lean over and vomit up a screwdriver. Private kept looking from his plate to Julian and then back to his plate.

Trying to make some kind of conversation at the dinner table, Kowalski gulped before posing a question to the lemur, unsure if it was a poor time or not.

"Julian...how exactly...did you come to know Toby?" He asked the ringtail. For a moment the room was silent, Julian looked up at the brains of the team and sighed very deeply.

"When he came here...he howled for the longest time if you remember." The others nodding their heads in retrospect to the prior memory.

"He howled so much I got mad and stormed into his room and demanded he be quiet so I could get some shut eye. He then told me he couldn't because he had noone to play with and talk to. Apparently he was moved from his family in the Washington state zoo over here because it was too crowded. I stayed with him and forgot about my sleeps and he seemed to really like me being there, it made me feel important, more important then other times. He also made me feel neccesary, like I was the only one who could keep him quiet or at least happy. I came by again and again every now and then to check up on him, sometimes we'd sneak into my bounce house and play, other times he like to just sit and talk in his room. Now's he'd gone, I can't do any of those things with him anymore." The lemur's lower lip quivered as he felt his eyes water up once more. Wrapping his striped tail around himself, he hugged his knees as he sobbed into his arms. The bird's turned away to allow the mammal his time to respond to the events of this tragic day. Being the comforting creature that he was, Private went around the table and held the lemur's side as he cried. Finding that the dinner was pretty much over, Skipper felt it best to give them the chance to get some shut eye and take a break from all the depression that dwelled upon them.

Setting him up in one of the comfy recliner chairs, Skipper and the gang did their best to accomodate the lemurs to their home. Julian laid down and pulled a blanket over himself, Mort snuggled in beside him, no rejection from the king for once, in fact, Julian wrapped an arm around his small lemur companion and looked down at Maurice who had a small cot set up for himself right next to his king. The trio of Madagascar soon fell asleep, each going through dreams of how they had interacted with the lost one.

They would have a small personal memorial for the wolf pup tommorow, but for the time being, Before Julian drifted off into his dreams that were both heartbreaking and heartwarming, he took in the sight before him. These penguins may have done things differently than that of his kingly order but for what it meant for him was he would continue his life's journey knowing he had lost a good friend, but he was surrounded by ones that were there for him and his royal family when he needed them to be. How long would it take him to truly get past the feelings he bore at the moment? A month? years? would he ever? All he could do right now is do right by the wolf pup. Getting up without waking the othere, he knelt by the chair, putting his hands together, the lemur took a praying stance as he whispered.

"Sky spirits, I ask this of you. Since I cannot keep Toby for any longer, please take great care of him for me until we can meet again, let him be happy as he possibly can and watch over him while he waits for me please." Getting up from his position he got back into the chair and cuddled next to Mort and Maurice, their slow and even breaths matching together. Julian closed his eyes and let himself be eased by visuals of Toby and him together, forever.

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A/N, Man this was pretty sad to write I'll admite but I'm glad I got it out of my system. For those of you who haven't seen it, in madagascar 2, Julian adorns a pink flamingo crown and has a lemur staff of himself. Thank you all for reading this and I hope you were able to get the same reaction I was out of it. Tell me what you thought and what you liked or didn't like.


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